Everyday is a Gift

Hello Cardz TV Gallery fans, Brenda here from Friends Craftin' with Friends and it's my turn to share a project with you. Right now my projects are simple and all done in advance, scheduled to post as I am still mourning my husband's death.  So please pardon my quickie cards. Crafty hugs, Brenda

Recipe:

Sentiment: Cardz TV Just Saying Stamp set

Tree, Cloud & Sun: My Creative Time Seasonal Greetings Stamp & Die set, Fun Stitched Clouds dies, Build a Banner Kit

There's a Hole in my Heart

The love of my life lost his battle with cancer this morning and the good Lord took him home at 3:50 am today. He was surrounded by our sons, some of our grandchildren and of course I never left his side. It was a hard evening and morning for us all. I really don't know how I will go on without the love of my life being next to me, there's a huge hole in my heart. I know God will get me through this, it just doesn't feel like it at this time. 

So while I have some scheduled posts, I won't probably be around for a while. Or maybe I will need to be here. I just don't know. My emotions are like a roller coaster and right now, I just have to get through the funeral and get used to not have my love sitting right by me each night. I have to get through him not being here to harvest the crops. Our boys will be doing it instead. My love so wanted to get in that combine one more time-farming was his passion, his family was his other passion. He worked 50 hours a week and then came home and farmed 5 farms. I was in awe by him everyday. There was nothing he couldn't do. And I just can't believe he isn't here anymore. But he isn't in pain anymore. He is cured now, the cancer isn't eating him alive anymore. And can I just say....CANCER SUCKS! It robbed me of my love, robbed my grandchildren of their papaw and I know that we aren't the only one that is walking this journey or that has lost their grandfather, their father or the love of their life.  

So please bare with me as I find my way in this journey. I don't know where this journey will lead me, but I know that one day I will get where I'm going with my beloved looking down over me and our boys and our grandchildren. 
Crafty hugs, Brenda

Carvin' Time

Hello crafty friends, I'm here with another scheduled post for Cardz TV Gallery. These posts will be quick and simple as well as my cards. 

I thought this paper was perfect for my pumpkins. I wish I would have thought to put some chunky glitter on the tops of my pumpkins to mimic frost, but I will before I send it out. Make sure to check back everyday but Sunday for more inspiration using Cardz TV stamps! Crafty hugs, Brenda

Recipe:

Old DCWV Halloween stack

Pumpkins: Fall Fun & Let's Face It Cardz TV Stamp sets

Sentiments: Fall Fun & Trick or Treat Cardz TV Stamp sets

It's Fall Ya'll!-Cardz TV Challenge

This is a pre-scheduled post-
Hello crafty friends, Brenda here from Friends Craftin' with Friends and it is my turn to share a project with you here at Cardz TV Gallery. Today I have a simple card for you. I made a "word" collage using fall words from the Cardz TV stamp set called "Fall Fun" and you can buy any Cardz TV stamp sets here. My "stitched" border is another Cardz TV stamp set called "Basic Borders. Just a simple fall card to send out to family or friends. 

Recipe: Cardz TV Stamp sets "Fall Fun" & "Basic Borders"
             My Creative Time " A Thankful Heart: leaves dies
             Distress Inks to color my leaves and India Ink to stamp sentiments

Please make sure to check back everyday through Saturday for more inspiring projects using Cardz TV stamp sets! Crafty hugs, Brenda

A Quick Update

Hello everyone, I wanted to drop in here real quick to give you the latest update. We went to the oncologist today and as I suspected he did call Hospice in. They will be here tomorrow to get hubby set up. He was funny and looked at the doctor and said, "What do I need them for, I got her." Meaning me. I said I think he needs the nurses to keep him comfortable, but he doesn't think so, but I over ruled on that one. I will give that man anything I can, but this. I need those nurses here to keep him comfortable and as pain free as they can. Doc also gave us a time frame for the first time. And as we know, no one knows but God when He will call hubby home, but in doc's experience he is saying 3 to 6 months, could be sooner, could be later. That hit hard, but I knew in my heart that hubby's time was near.  For the first time hubby's "numbers" are out of wack. He is starting with liver issues as the test results showed. Doc said that his liver will fail and hubby will slip into a coma and then die peacefully. Well, thank God for a peaceful passing for him! I don't want him suffering anymore than he already has. Our boys are rallying around us, which is wonderful. The one in Iowa is coming home in the 9th, he will have to go back as he and his wife are teachers, he is a Tech Ed teacher and she is an Art teacher. But of course they will get their bereavement once hubby passes.  Our son that is in the Army, is coming home at the same time and of course I will call Red Cross to get his bereavement when that time comes. The boys are rallying together to get everyone home at the same time-aren't they the greatest?!! I'm telling you we have awesome son's and they are more worried about keeping their dad comfortable and making sure I'm ok. I'm worrying about them and they are worrying about me. I've said it before and I will continue to say it, hubby and I have been so very blessed in so many ways. I can't even begin to count all our wonderful blessings. 

So with docs insight today, it has really hit home to us. Hubby is very depressed, but that is normal. He did ask doc for some depression meds, so we will see how they go. Doc doesn't think they will help much, so we will see. Anyway I so appreciate all your wonderful and caring comments. I feel like each one of you are here with us giving support to us. I thank you so much for your caring, your support and your love. I have to agree with Carol, cancer plain sucks! But we will pull through as a family and have our beautiful memories and scrapbooks to look back on and will cherish them. I will keep hubby alive to our grandchildren and I hope that there is farms in heaven because that is hubby's passion!  God Bless you all and thanks for hanging in with me. I will be back, I just don't know when. Love and hugs to you all!!! Brenda

Hopkins Update

Hello my crafty friends, it has taken me a bit to do this post. Hubby and I went down to Hopkins on Monday. Hubby doesn't qualify for the study because he isn't "healthy" enough. The doctor told him to go home and live out the remainder of his time the best he could with the family. It was devastating news to us both, but I know what the doctor said was true. Hubby is going down hill everyday, I'm not sure he will even make it through the fall. It was hard having to tell our boys and I just got that done on Tuesday night. Our oldest is in the military and I have to judge when hubby is really bad, but not bad enough to pass before I can go through the Red Cross to get our son home to say his goodbye. I have to say this is really tough! I guess too, I should say that we are a blended family, we had "yours", "mine" and "ours". Son #1 and #3 were mine, son's 2, 4 and 5 where hubby's and son #6 is ours together. But very few people realize it or remember it. As a teacher once told me, "I forget you have a blended family because, a) the boys all look alike, b) you both treat them all the same so no one would really know that they aren't yours or that they are all real brothers. Well they are real brothers in every sense of the word, they just don't have the same blood. So our boys are hurting-all of them. My husband was a great father to all our boys or should I say men because they really are, but still boys to me and my heart. He taught them great work ethics and I'm so proud of the men they have become. Our youngest of course is the one who is in his second year of college, he is the one I worry about the most. It's going to be hard for us all, but I think especially hard on him. Now I have to brag, all our guys have stepped up to the plate to make sure I now they are here for me. One has told me he will make it his mission to make sure that myself and my youngest are taken care of if anything happens to his father. How sweet is that?! I know they all will do whatever they have to and what ever they can to see me through this. It is I who should be seeing them through this, not the other way around. But I'm a sissy and will need them.

So today we go see our oncologist, hubby get's his shot and I look for the doctor to call Hospice in very soon. Hubby isn't eating well at all and he isn't drinking much, I know he is getting dehydrated because the nurse had a hard time getting blood from him for his blood test yesterday. I will have some scheduled posts to fulfill my design team obligations (and no, I don't have to do this, but feel obligated to do it because I kinda' get paid, paid in stamps) coming up. After that I don't know when I will be back to blogging. The guys and I will have much to do when we lose hubby. So much farm equipment that will need to be sold and I haven't a clue about what it is even worth and of course the list will go on. Will have to find affordable health insurance for myself and our youngest. Hubby is only 52, so his job still carries us on their health insurance, hubby has worked for this local company for 35 years, started with them at 17 years old, so his boss made sure he covered the whole family without it costing us a cent! Yes, we are blessed, but once hubby is gone, that will be gone too. I am very thankful for them for taking care of us the way they have this last 2 years, they have certainly went above and beyond what they had to as they continued to pay hubby his pay whether he worked or not. Yes, blessed we are with this company. Not many employers would or do do this! So I can't complain except for the fact of this cancer taking my husband here one day. 

I also want to thank all of you who have left messages for me, prayed for us and sent cards to us. I can't even begin to list you all as I would probably miss someone, but you know who you are and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Hubby just couldn't believe all the people praying for him. It truly touched his heart as well as mine!! 

If you are still with me this far, bless your heart. I will be back to let everyone know when hubby has passed, but don't know when I will be crafting again. Maybe I will feel the need to scrap my pictures and will post them, or maybe not.  I don't know how I will feel. I do know that I love you all and will never forget the love and support you have instilled upon us. Until then......crafty love and hugs to you all! Brenda

Hopkins News

Hello friends, I have to thank you for all your prayers and well wishes for hubby. He is slowly getting better since radiation has started. He finished his 4th treatment today out of the 10.

We went to Hopkins this morning after radiation. Doc wasn't happy to see hubby using a cane to get around. I have noticed though that he isn't using it as much around the house now. Anyway, our Hopkins doctor told hubby that he has to been able to function with everyday life to be eligible for a study and of course last time he was, this time not so much. I have seen an improvement with his walking in the last 3 radiation treatments so doc is encouraged that he will be back up and functioning after he is done with radiation. If he isn't there isn't anything else that can be done except to make him as comfortable as they can. I think though that he will be good to go once this back pain is gone, which hopefully it will be once he is done with radiation. 

We go back down to Hopkins on the 14th of Sept. to see the doctor again and she will see how he is doing and make a determination of whether he is eligible for a colon cancer study. He will also do blood work for her in the same building and we will have to bring all his scans that have been done of course. Doc also told us that he will have to wait 2 to 3 weeks after radiation before starting a study. That's better than 28 days!  So next Tuesday, the 1st of Sept. he will be done with radiation and then the count down can begin. So keeping the faith that a study will be open for hubby to begin with as soon as doc says he can begin.

Thanks again for all the prayers and well wishes, we truly appreciation them all!!
Hugs, 
Brenda